How to Sell to Niche Markets
Selling to Editors and Editorial Services
Most editors and editorial services have a wide array of needs that are not being met by their vendors. Don't forget that editors and editorial services aren't easy sales marks -- here's what you'll need to convert prospects into customers.
Although there is a strong market for products geared toward editors and editorial services, penetrating the market can be challenging.
Good sales teams combine personal motivation with a set of tools that equips them to rise to the occasion during sales cycles that target editors and editorial services. Whether you're a new business or an established industry presence, here are a few of the tools you need to have in your toolbox.
Casting a Broad Net
The first step in selling to editors and editorial services is to cast a broad net. Strategies that focus exclusively on the local market are not likely to succeed in an environment that leverages the benefits of long-distance sales techniques.
Although a geographic concentration may be a useful strategy for new sellers, you will eventually need to broaden your focus to include prospects outside of your initial range. You can also broaden your prospect base by introducing new products and partnerships into the mix.
How to Evaluate Sales Staff
Periodic staff assessment is essential for companies that sell in this industry. Businesses that achieve significant market share recruit the cream of the crop and routinely evaluate them against performance goals and benchmarks.
Although annual reviews may be enough for other business units, sales units should be evaluated quarterly with monthly or weekly reviews of sales totals. Training, coaching and sales incentives can be useful for improving performance and revenues. In some instances, it may be appropriate to team underperforming sales reps with reps that have more experience selling to editors and editorial services.
Marketing Mix
Since it's impossible to separate sales and marketing, your company's marketing mix plays a central role in bottom line sales revenue. The industry's leading sellers employ multichannel marketing strategies and place a high premium on channels that funnel messaging directly to decision makers.
Despite the fact that there are multiple way to market to editors and editorial services, B2B sellers often achieve higher returns by outsourcing lead generation to a third-party provider. Experian and other vendors maintain accurate and up-to-date lists of editors and editorial services. For many businesses, these lists establish a framework for the rest of the sales cycle.
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